It turns out the Boston Red Sox's trade pursuit of Minnesota Twins star pitcher Joe Ryan wasn't as disastrous as fans were initially led to believe.
Boston's trade deadline performance was underwhelming, to say the least, and the perception of its chase for Ryan's services likely played a part in fans' displeasure. But MLB insider Jeff Passan's description of Craig Breslow's push for Ryan has changed some fans' (and other insiders') minds about the effort.
"Boston came close. The Red Sox were willing to part with a number of high-end prospects to land right-handerJoe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins. But that wasn't expressed until the deadline was nearing, and the Twins were so deep in other talks to disassemble their roster, the prospect of moving Ryan had lost appeal," Passan wrote in his August 4 trade deadline awards piece.
The Red Sox's swing for Ryan did seem like a late pivot. Boston had been linked to him multiple times in the lead-up to the trade deadline, but the Twins always seemed reluctant to move the starter, who is under team control for two and a half more seasons. After the Red Sox lost out on Merrill Kelly, arguably the best rental starter on the market, they scrambled to have a shot at the massive deadline fans hoped for — the Red Sox promised to buy after the Rafael Devers trade and couldn't afford not to deliver.
MLB insiders' conflicting reports on Red Sox's Joe Ryan chase finally even out
Passan's report on Boston's attempt to trade for Ryan directly contradicted that of fellow MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, who characterized its chase as "feeble." He admits that he may have been hard on the Red Sox on his "Foul Territory" podcast appearance, but notes that they didn't land Ryan, regardless.
"The Red Sox did not push for Ryan until the final hour. And though it was later reported they made various offers with multiple Top 100 prospects, none of their proposals included a major-league outfielder. And the bottom line is, the Sox did not sufficiently entice the Twins," Rosenthal wrote.
Breslow caught heat from fans for being unwilling to give up one of his two lefty outfielders — Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu — for Ryan. Minnesota sold off nearly its entire roster at the deadline, and it wasn't in a position to add at the major league level. One or both players could return to the trade block when the Red Sox and Twins (hopefully) resume trade negotiations over the offseason.
The Red Sox still didn't get all the help they truly needed at the deadline outside of Ryan. Boston could've used another bullpen arm and an experienced first baseman or catcher to shore up the defense and add a bit more offensive insurance. The Red Sox haven't let the few additions get them down, though, and they've won every game since the trade deadline, even without extra help.